Resources needed for North East ambulance services – Gallagher

Fianna Fáil Senator Robbie Gallagher has called for increased resources for ambulance services in Cavan and Monaghan. Senator Gallagher was raising the lack of resources in the north east which has recently seen 22 staff rostered for duty with only 12 staff rostered on and working.

Senator Gallagher commented, “One person alone cannot take out an ambulance to an incident. It requires at a minimum two people. Regularly the service in the north east is short of staff and it is not alarmist to say this is putting lives at risk.

“People fear that the chronic shortage of ambulance personnel means that a serious accident would see such a delay that it would have serious consequences for those involved. Part of the problem is the introduction of a new system of rostering by the HSE. The six new staff members that were promised to fill the gaps have not materialised and this has caused great angst among the general public.

“The Minister must assist in organising a meeting with ambulance services personnel to give some comfort to the people of the north east, particularly County Monaghan, that there is adequate and sufficient ambulance cover there to cater for all needs and eventualities,” concluded Deputy Gallagher.